Thursday, April 20, 2006

A Majority of Graduate Employees Show Their Support for a Union

A majority of graduate employees at NYU--over 500 of something less than 1,000 total--have signed a petition stating that even after a strike of almost six months, they still support GSOC and want the NYU administration to negotiate a second contract. This support is broad across the entire body of employees. In fact, a majority of workers in a majority of departments have signed. In addition, a large number of graduate students who are not yet employees or who are former employees have also signed.

The petition reads as follows:"We the undersigned want a union contract for the work we perform as graduate employees of NYU. Over the years a majority of graduate employees has consistently demonstrated support for our union, GSOC/UAW Local 2110, including in the last year signing an open letter calling for collective contract negotiations, striking, picketing and attending demonstrations.

As we look to the next academic year, we call upon the NYU administration to resolve the campus conflict by respecting the will of the majority and by negotiating an enforceable second contract with our bargaining representative, GSOC/UAW Local 2110."

This is terrific news, as it provides direct evidence to counter the administration's claims that no one cares anymore, that graduate employees at New York University deeply care about the conditions of our work and will keep doing what it takes to get a contract, as long as it takes.